#(that's something directly from the post I'm thinking of)

[isa-ghost]

I fully agree with this (/genuine). And I do wish people would stop using it because of the historical-and-still-current context behind the phrase.

But I am curious about what OP's opinion is about a take I see a lot in defense of using the phrase as a quirky (perhaps even cringe) positive phrase. I've seen loads of people say "well over time words/phrases/images can get a new context behind them that overwrites (but doesn't erase) the previous bad one. It takes power away from the people who use [thing] in a derogatory way." Basically the same kinda logic we use when reclaiming slurs, I guess? Maybe that's too extreme of a comparison though, I dunno. Another example I thought of is how Tupperware is (was?) a company, but we call *all* plastic containers similar to that Tupperware, which completely diminished the company's sway over product competition since it became a blanket term. I'm probably oversimplifying that a bit but it was another interesting educational post I read on here ages ago. I tried looking for it on my blog but the only thing that came up was the post about how they went bankrupt.

Anyway, to an extent I agree with the idea of "new positive context," but like with basically everything, I think there's nuance to it. I think there are times where changing the context behind something simply doesn't work and/or shouldn't be the route people go down, period. And of course there are instances where people abuse the idea and use it as justification for shit they shouldn't. Same kinda deal as "death to the author."

But also the internet (and perhaps younger queers in general in this case?) has a terrible habit of completely disregarding important context or at the very least not acknowledging/respecting said context to the degree they should, if they do so at all. And I'm as sick of that as plenty of other people are.

So I guess that is to say I can see both sides of the argument and am curious to hear if OP (or anyone else) has some additional info that I lack? If there's things about this I can be taught beyond "hey this is an ongoing issue, stop enabling the people who seek to use it to harm us by using it like it's something cute and quirky," I'd really like to learn what those points may be. Especially because then I could take those myself and further spread the word by educating people just like OP.

I think once upon a time I was actually a "we can reclaim this with a new positive context and take the power away from the people who use it to do harm" person myself but then I came across posts like this one and actually put some real thought into the topic and changed my mind? (I say that with uncertainty because I don't actually remember ever explicitly agreeing with takes in favor of the positive context use). Which is another reason I'd appreciate further discussion about why this is a case where "new positive context" shouldn't be the way people go about it. The stronger the argument for it, the better or whatever, right?

Also I'd like to provide a precautionary clarification that I'm asking OP/anyone else here if they have additional insight instead of "googling around" or something myself because I personally tend not to trust stuff like that since misinformation is so rampant, especially with how common the use of ai-generated bullshit is. It's also, in my opinion, better to hear things directly from people you Know for certain are from [group] or have experience with [thing]. I digress.

i fear the battle is lost at this point but i still flinch every time i see "gay panic" used as a cute positive phrase. Like let's go on say wikipedia.org for a second and try typing that one in folks

edit: i caved and looked in the notes and my god you people are stupid. Stop talking about this like it's ancient history. The gay/trans panic defense is quite literally still legal in the majority of the US. Look at this map since you apparently don't have wikipedia or like any kind of search engine on your computers

[shinischis]

Was thinking about a lil kaishin hc again, as I always do, but then again, I'm me, ans I thrive for side effects of the aptx antidote

Post Conan, I think shinichi would have a lot and I mean ALOT of side effects. Having grown in the body of a child for... let's say 2 years maybe? (I think it'd take a while to finally take down the Black org and when they actually do, the antidote isn't there and they have to end up taking down other branches of the organisation for anything about the poison and then they cheer).

First of all, My favourite one, he has chronic pain. It's mostly from the amount of temporary antidotes he's taken, so the size of bones and muscles changing so many times, yea, that kinda develops it.

He'd have that on and off pain where when it'd come to a random time, he'd just feel ache and stinging everywhere. The first time it happens, he thinks it's the antidote not working and that he's gonna turn back to Conan, but it happens MULTIPLE times for weeks, so he ends up building up a fake name and identity with his mother's help and gets it checked out.

I like to think that shinichi would hide it from kaito during their getting together days. He doesn't wanna worry people anymore, so he ends up unintentionally hiding it, the only people who know are haibara, since she's his kind of doctor, then there's the professor for obvious reasons cuz shinichi just tells him everything, and then Ran. He doesn't directly tell her, she just witness it .

Kaito only finds out when he's coming back from a heist where he noticed that shinichi wasn't there. So he kinda doesn't care to change put of his KID uniform and just barges into the house through the window, and there it is, Shinichi sitting on the bed with a heating bad on his lap and painkillers in hand.

It's hard for shinichi to explain it, so haibara is there instead, and kaito doesn't get it at first and doesn't know what to do, shinichi is fine with that, ye never intended to have kaito deal with it, but then is later surprised when the pain comes back again and suddenly kaito is the most professional care taker put there, (he totally didn't spent the next hours after finding out about it just doing research and going around as an intern or student in hospitals to see how professionals deal with it).

Shinichi doesn't think he's ever fallen for a man harder, he's squealing and kicking his feet at the next moment he can.

Another one I really like to write is the him not realizing hes not conan anymore, and so is his body (and we actually wintesses that in an ep and i found that really funny).

I feel like from changing between the body of a 7yr old to an adult so many times, it's just cause an alternation in everything in his body. I think he'd forget that he should eat in amount that an adult should, and ends up with a kids serving , or even when he's eating out with anymore, like kaito or heiji, one of them just goes "You're not Conan anymore yknow?" And then he just mentally slaps himself and orders something else.

Other than that there's the childishness, shinichi, as shinichi, not Conan, saying alele KILLED me, and he might definitely keep going with that or other terms he's used to. I feel like whoever someone's amazed at how quick he works , he'll just send them that childish grin all happy and stuff. The person who'd catch onto it most is Takagi, he's all like. "Conan used to do this too... hmmm.. what if- no- but- no"

In kaishins pov, I think shinichi would mostly act normal, he's used to being himself around kaito, so it's easy to adjust to him being back again, but maybe he'd make the voice or say something when hanging around with someone who knew him purely as Conan. And kaito would tease him about it for the rest of that night.

The part where his body has alternated is in like. His immunity, which would make him sick a lot more, or blood issues. That guy would 101% get anaemia from that kids serving he eats throughout the day (he definitely forgets to eat) , so you just find the guy all pale and zoning our more often and always tired. It gets to a point where he passes out when out of a trip with kaito, and kaito being himself, DRAGS shinichi to a near by medical center or doctor them finds out shinichis iron or haemoglobin level is like, 4 when the normal is 12, and kaito is struck harder when he finds out it takes A LONG time to get it back up to normal again.

Not to mention he always has some cold or fever, hes basically making kaito his personal 24/7 illness caretaker, and at first it's sweet, kaito being careful and stuff ti starting to think shinichis faking it (he's going through his denial era, don't mind him) and he's all huffy and just forces shinichi to stay in bed all day, then realizes it's real and goes all sweet again.

Shinichis reaction to all this? Tired, he just wants to go on cases and heists but he's always watched by kaitos doves to do that.

Umm that's all for today, thanks for coming to my kaishin rant

[allmylifemyseasons]

Goodnight and Go~ Choi Yeonjun

synopsis: Yeonjun hates parting at night or... peeks of y/n's and yeonjun's relationship underneath the night sky.

pairing: College student! Choi Yeonjun x afab! reader

song: Goodnight and Go - Imogen heap (lost the plot halfway through, but point is, they are DOWN BAD for each other, Yeonjun more, and they are sickly sweet which the song is too, so... a win is a win.)

warnings- none? not really a plot... just moments of the relationship... mostly fluff/comfort, CHEESINESS (SELF INDLUGING), yeonjun being head over heel for you, just sickly sweet im telling ya... mentions of sexual acts but none performed (not there yet sadly)

( AND PROBABLY BAD WRITING BUT WE FINISHED A STORY SO?????? I WIN), OH FORGOT TO SAY.... it's also unedited....

Word count: 4.8k (ha...)

A/N: Hello! this is my first work on here, and honestly its a bit of a mess, but I made a new years resolution that id start writing more and posting it, and I just spent a couple of hours writing non stop... Please give me constructive criticism, I need rejection therapy LMAO, no but really, I want to be good so bad...

Yeonjun rubs his hands together and blows his hot breath in between them, trying to defrost his frozen fingers, and it works but only for a bit. He watches that same air crystalize in front of him as he thinks of what else to say. You both stood by your door now, the front yard light was dim but shined brightly enough to see the blush across both of your faces. He was desperate for the night to continue, he wanted to hear you talk until the end of time, be around you until the sun came up, but he notices the shiver your body does everytime the wind blows. 

Yeonjun had seen you around before asking you on a date. It was one of those weird moments in cheesy rom coms, where you just wouldn't stop spawning everywhere he went. All throughout campus, you would appear, with the brightest smile he'd ever seen. You were always laughing, always smiling, always speaking with such enthusiasm in a conversation. When he finally put a voice to the smile, after sitting in the only chair left available in a class you shared, Yeonjun understood why those around you carried the same smile around, even after parting from you. Yeonjun had never felt as listened to as much as he did in the first conversation you had and the ones following it. He wondered just exactly how you did it, to make any person that spoke to you, the most important person in the world.You were addicting to be around, a source of comfort and laughter. When he finally got the courage to ask you out, a day before fall semester ended, he felt the clouds push back as you smiled softly, for the first time looking nervously everywhere else before saying yes, a twinkle shined in your eye, like a disney movie and he felt absolutely captivated from there on. 

“Um, anyways, thanks for dinner tonight,” You say looking directly up at him, your eyes shined with hope as if you were expecting something. You clear your throat before continuing, “and thanks for the jacket.” 

You begin to peel it off your shoulders: 

“Now, please put it on before your future cold gets worse,”

“Pfft, what cold? Ill be fine~”He smirks confidently, waving a dismissive hand as he bunches up his jacket to prove a point. 

“I can't wait to say I told you so.” you tease. 

“You wish, in fact I'm gonna be so fine, I'm hoping I can see you again? Maybe before the weekend ends? Friday? There's that new spiderman movie… ” Anything. He thinks to himself. He doesn't worry about looking too desperate, it truly doesn't bother him to show you that he wants you, bad, because he really does. 

“Hmm… okay let's make a deal. If you're feeling fine by this Friday, you get to pick the movie. If youre sick, I pick it…” A win-win. He smirks, “...after you get better…” His smile drops. 

“Ugh..” He rolls his eyes playfully before sticking his hand out, “...deal.” He makes a mental note to take vitamins before heading to bed. 

You shake his hand as a giggle falls from your lips. 

You're surrounded by an awkward silence again, you're no longer looking at him but literally anywhere else. He knows what you're waiting for, and honestly he wants it too. Your lips, that were tinted and glossed, had been distracting him all night, but he was nervous. Yeonjun had always been someone who moved fast, always quick to jump the rope. In the past, he would have walked right on in on the first date and would've stayed the night, and the relationships themselves would move quickly to the point that things would get messy and things were not fully thought through. He didn't want to do that with you, he didn't want to ruin this. But was a kiss considered slow? Fast? He didn't have enough time to mull it over. 

“Um, so yeah let me know…” You chuckle awkwardly, reaching back for the handle of the door. There's still hope in your eyes until he speaks up. 

“I will, thanks for coming out with me tonight, y/n” Yeonjun steps backwards, feeling regret rush through his body. He thinks it might overcome him before he catches a genuine smile on your face, “Goodnight, Jun.” 

“Goodnight.” He watches you walk in before walking back to his car, where he dwells on the sweet image of your smile. 

Your lips. God, your lips.

 He should've done it, what's fast about a kiss? The look you gave him replays in his mind, flutters breaking out in his stomach over and over again each time. The regret is making him move ten times slower and distracts him well enough that he doesn't notice the moving figure circling around his car to the driver's side window. 

The knock makes him jump. He rolls his window down, looking awfully confused because here you were, kneeling down to his level, with a nervous look. 

“Y/N? Are you okay? Did you forget something?” 

You stare at him for a bit, “Um, yeah, j-just this…” You lean forward hesitant before landing a quick peck on his lips. It happened so fast Yeonjun barely had time to feel your lips pressed on his, but he felt them, they were on there. He notices the nervous look as you wait patiently for his reaction and it makes him break into a smile. Who knew being on the same page felt so good? 

He reaches your face with both of his hands to bring you back to him, this time keeping your lips on his for longer than a peck, and they feel much softer than they looked, and he was able to taste the leftover sweetness of the slice of cake you shared, he can't believe he said goodnight before doing this. He can't believe he lived a whole life before your lips.

The wind picks up and he feels you shiver once again, and he remembers that its winter and you ran out in your dress and a thin cardigan. He lets go, not before pecking your lips once more, and smiles up at you, the blush on your cheeks were his doing and he's feeling really good about that. 

“Okay, for real now, goodnight.” You giggle before tightening your cardigan and running back inside. 

He watches you scurry in, and he drives off, the faint feeling of your lips are as present as the permanent smile on his lips that night. 

——- 

“Are you sure there’s nothing more I can help you with, Mrs. L/N?” Yeonjun stands by the open door, leaning against the wall, using it as support as he fits his foot in his shoe. The table was cleared and the dishes were washed, yet he felt like he could stay longer if needed. 

Yeonjun loved your family home. Everything reminded him of you, from the smell to the style to every single picture on the wall having either a call back to stories he remembers you telling him or a younger version of you in them. It made it feel like you, and it was hard to leave every time. 

“You've done more than enough, sweetie. Thank you.” Your mother replies leaning to give him a tight hug and an affectionate squeeze on the cheek before heading to the living room. 

“Y/N, dont forget to lock the door once youre back inside.” 

“Got it!” You respond back, closing the door behind you as you both step out to the refreshing breeze of a summer night. The buzzing of the insects filled the silence as Yeonjun turned back to you. 

“Thank you, sweetie.” you tease, wrapping your arms around his waist. 

“Oo, someone jealous~” 

“Am not!” 

“Its okay, baby. I won't steal your mom.” He ruffles the top of your head before leaning into your embrace. 

“You wouldn't succeed anyways~” It came out muffled that he could barely understand it, making him chuckle lightly. 

He knew he had to leave soon, you both had class in the morning. Yet in your warmth, it made it so hard to care about anything other than the feeling of your head in his chest. 

“Dont go.” You say softly. Once again, it's like you were in his head.

“Mmm, We have class tomorrow though, and you have that exam, i'm only gonna distract you.” He hated to be the responsible one in these circumstances but you had been nervous about this class and he knew better than to fall for the temptation of staying and not allowing you to study. 

“Ugh.. Please dont remind me.” You rub your face on his chest before stepping back and he looks at you with an amused face. 

“Are you picking me up tomorrow?” 

“Duh.” 

“Okay. Can we go to that one cafe with the fluffy cheesecakes after?” 

He nods before pulling on your fingers, leaning in for a kiss. 

“Goodnight, Baby~” He says in between kisses.

“Night, Junie~” You turn to go, your hand being the last thing lingering on him, before you feel back. He grabs your face gently bringing you in for a second kiss. 

“Goodnight, Baby~” He says again, a small smile playing on his lips as he pecks you twice. 

This brings a small laugh out of you. 

“Goodnight, Junie~” You drag out before turning around again, only to again feel a pull back, this time his hands slip and pull your long sleeve instead. 

“Yeonjun!” You laugh out, his lips once again attaching themselves to you. 

“Okay, okay, forreal goodnight” He laughs too, his hands closing in behind your head, bringing you in for what should have been the final kiss of the night. He feels your smiles in the kiss fade as he keeps you in the kiss for a bit, he can feel the soft sigh you let out and he feels dizzy from it. Yeonjun breaks the kiss, landing pecks before leaning back slightly, your head still in his hands. The warmth spreads across his face, down to his chest and he can't tell if the buzzing is coming from the insects anymore or from his heart.  What he can tell, is that you're feeling it too as he watches how your half lidded eyes continue to stare at him, so full of adoration and love he almost feels shy by them. 

“I love you” He whispers, watching you carefully for any sign of a reaction. He thinks he might have read the room wrong, until he watches your eyes widen and sparkle cartoonishly, a smile breaking wide on your face. 

“I love you too.” He takes a moment to process your response before leaning down to touch foreheads and Yeonjun feels an explosion of emotions in him, like fireworks being set off all over his body. 

“Good.” He says trying to play it off as not a big deal. But he can't play off the crack in his voice. You giggle. 

“Shut up,” You push him gently and Yeonjun can't help but just stare at you, “Goodnight, Baby. I love you~” He loves the enjoyment in your eyes as you say it.

“I love you too. Good night~” And just like the night of your first date, and almost every week since it happened 6 months ago, he watches you walk towards the door. 

“Okay! Goodnight! Go already!” You laugh from the door. “Text me when you're home!”

———

Yeonjun watches you from the corner of his eye at the way you run a hand through your hair, standing across from him, your arms crossed. Your parents weren't home, and they wouldn't be for the whole weekend, something that was often celebrated between the two of you, spent in each other’s arms, in each other's beds, but right now Yeonjun sat slumped on the couch. He spent the past five minutes in silence trying to figure out how to direct the conversation, but he felt like you were both losing patience with each other, and he hated the feeling. 

“Y/N. Can you please just sit with me?” 

He watches you stand there for a moment before walking towards him. Arguments weren’t common enough to know how to have a healthy one. Words and accusations have been thrown, and Yeonjun wants to put an end to it before it gets worse. 

It started with a light stray, just a small comment from you that caught him off guard. 

“You can go, I don't mind staying home.” you lean facing the island as you watch the water of the sink hit the drain, steam rising up makes you turn the faucet handle the other direction before Yeonjun puts his hands in boiling water. 

“What? No, come on, it'll be fun.” he rubs your back as he stacks the dishes in the sink. 

“Right, because being stuck in a corner is fun.” From the look on your face, the soft chuckle that escapes your lips, he knew you didn't mean anything provoking about it, but he couldn't help but believe there was deeper meaning behind it. 

“What's that supposed to mean?” He no longer focused on the dishes. 

“Huh? Nothing? I just mean like sometimes your friends' parties aren't fun. ” 

“But we already said we’d go? I don't want to back out now.” 

“Then go, baby. We don't both have to be there. I'm sure they won't even notice I'm not there.” 

“Of course they'll notice! Chaewon and Soob are gonna be so bummed you're not there. I'm gonna be bummed you're not there” 

“Jun, I really don't want to spend the one weekend having the house to myself, at someone else's house. I'm tired, I'm on my period and the last thing I want to do is drink and have the bass booming in my ears. If you really wanna go, it's fine. You should go.” You were getting frustrated, he could tell but the feeling was throwing him out on a loop. 

Yeonjun felt like something was off. Have you always felt this way about the parties you’d go to? Had it had something to do with his friends? With him? 

“Come on, I always go to your parties, come to mine.” It hadn't occurred to him how pushy he sounded, but the idea of leaving you home alone didn't sit right with him. 

“No one asks you to go though.” 

“You don't have to ask me, I do things without needing to be begged.” it hits him. He's saying the wrong things, but it's too late, because you're giving him a look of total shock. 

“You don't have to beg me. I don't want to go. And even more so now that I'm being forced out of guilt.” 

“I didn't mean it like that.” 

“It doesn't matter what you meant. It's how it came out.” 

The argument only escalated from there. What started out as a simple rejection evolved to a yelling match and ended with Yeonjun slamming the door on his way out. No ‘goodnight’, no goodnight kiss, just the fall wind making it hard to walk out into the night. 

Yeonjun thinks he might have been overdoing things, overestimating the meaning behind your words, but it was hard to be sure, when you always hid behind them. Yeonjun couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more to it. And now leaving you alone in an empty house sent a wave of regret and sadness throughout his bones. Yeonjun hated saying goodnight to you, hated  that he had to settle on kissing you, settle on the faint ghosting feeling of your lips on his before he went to bed, but preferred it over this feeling anyday and now he royally fucked it up for the night and had to suffer through it. 

He wouldn't be able to even enjoy the party with the thought of you angry at him. He wouldn't be able to focus on the conversations nor enjoy the drinks with the memory of your furrowed eyebrows playing in a loop. 

He only made it two blocks away before he turned back, and headed back to you. He found you in the kitchen with teary eyes and soapy foam on your hands. The water running filled the dead air around you.

When Yeonjun finally makes his presence known, you're quick to look back down.

The silence that surrounds you now, as he gets you to sit beside him, has him questioning how he can fix this. 

His hand is hesitant in reaching for yours, and you move it closer to him to reassure him that it was okay to grab it. Thank god. He thought. 

“I'm sorry for everything I've said,” He rubs your palm looking at you focus on your hand, “I shouldn't be forcing you to do anything you don't want to do, it's not a big deal if you miss a couple of my friends parties, we don't have to go to every single one, i'm sorry i wasn't thinking about you. I like having you there and being around me and when you hangout with my friends I feel good, like all my favorite people are in one room. I think that just made me become a little selfish.” He joins you in watching how his thumb presses into your skin. You nod. 

Silence overcomes the both of you again, before you break it next. 

“I'm sorry too. I don't mean to be mean, I think my words just come out that way before I can think them through and I really need to work on that. You're not selfish for wanting that, but sometimes I just get tired of going out all the time.” He feels you holding back again, not being able to voice what was bothering you.

“Is it the ‘going out’ that's really bothering you? Or might it be something else?” It dawns on him that he can just ask. The tension had been disappearing by the minute, you pulled your hand away from him and hid your face. 

“I dont want to sound clingy…” 

“Hey, you won't. I swear.” 

You rub your hand over your face. Yeonjun hopes that the hand he places on your back soothes you at least a bit. 

“Sometimes you just feel really dismissive at parties. Like yeah we showed up together and you've introduced me to your friends and they know me and they're so nice, but in the first 10 minutes, you're like gone. I just start to feel abandoned. You don't have to babysit me, it's not what I'm saying you know? It's just like I feel left out, and maybe it's on me, maybe I just have to put myself out there and put in the effort to be friends with your friends, but youre kinda like my way in ya know? I was lucky that Soobin and Chaewon are in some of my classes for the semester, and we got closer that way. But once they leave, it's so hard to get close to you or keep up with you.  I'm sorry if this sounds annoying, I know its sou-” 

Yeonjun was dumbfounded. How could he have made you feel that way and never noticed? 

Right, because being stuck in a corner is fun. How stupid could he have possibly been. 

He felt his throat closing in. He cuts off your apologetic rant. 

“No. You have nothing to be sorry for. I'm so sorry I never noticed I would do that, I can't believe I didn't. You're right. I'm so sorry, y/n. Please forgive me. I hadn't realized that's what you meant. I won't be doing that ever again. I swear. Believe me.” he doesn't know what else to do other than spur out apologies. 

“Its okay. Really. I guess I know you get so caught up in having fun..” 

“Stop. Please don't justify it. I love you. I'm so sorry.” he grabs your hand and kisses your palm. 

“It's okay, thank you for listening. I love you too~” You chuckle a bit, your eyes no longer teary as they are replaced by a look of amusement. 

“We're pretty good at this argument and resolution thing, no?” You say after another small moment of silence. Yeonjun laughs. The tension is gone, chests are feeling lighter and the air is no longer still around you as Yeonjun wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you back to rest on the cushions. He's already thinking of all the ways he can make up for his mistake.

“Definitely not, but we got time to work on it.” He kisses your head. 

“It's a good start, atleast~” You laugh, leaning into his arms. 

The heater turns on, and the position you're both in feels so comfortable neither of you want to move. Especially Yeonjun as he catches a glance at the clock, 11:40pm.

“So… Do I have to say ‘goodnight’ tonight?” In his head, he knows the answer. Yet, he still asks, wanting to feel reassured, feeling an invisible new boundary he wants only you to break. 

“Dont be dumb.” You respond snuggling further into him and the couch. He can tell from the way you respond, that you're falling asleep, and with that thought his own eyes begin to droop. 

“Oh, jun?” Barely above a whisper that Yeonjun barely catches it. 

“Yeah?” With his eyes close and heavy he doesn't notice your finger raising to his forehead level before giving it a stinging flick.

“Ouch!” 

“Never walk out like that again.” 

—--

“Please tell me that was the last of the boxes.” You force out in a big puff of air. Summer had just started, yet the heat felt marinated into the spring and only got worse. 

Yeonjun nods as he climbs the last two steps of the stairs. Curse this elevator-less building.

Yeonjun had recently moved out of the dorms into a college-assigned apartment complex. He saved money from his multiple jobs, and pulled out the biggest loan in mankind just to gain what he called the biggest privilege in all of college history: Privacy. 

Soobin and Beomgyu had shed some fake tears before vowing to visit everyday, something Yeonjun did not laugh at. You, on the other hand, couldn't keep your laugh in as you watched the frown on Yeonjun’s face grow deeper as the boys pretended to console what they thought was a sad and lonely man. 

“At least you guys can finally do it in peace.” Beomgyu announces as he drops the box by the corner of the empty room. He swipes the sweat off his forehead, quirking his eyebrow, earning a smack at the back of the head from Yeonjun. 

“Idiot.” Soobin says, fanning himself with a random piece of flimsy paper. 

“He's not wrong though…” Yeonjun whispers as he wraps his arms around your waist, his chin resting on your shoulder. You smack his arm, your cheeks turning red. 

After the boys helped move the mattress in, they left, not before complaining about getting kicked out so soon. Yeonjun just wanted to spend time with you, alone, in what is now the space of his own home. 

“I feel used.” Beomgyu wiped a fake tear, “thrown away, even. Y/N treat him well, he no longer needs us.” 

“This is so sad,” You say, patting his head, looking at Yeonjun.

“If I give you 30 bucks for dinner, will you both leave us alone?” 

“Deal.” 

Once they were gone, you both moved the mattress towards the center of the living area, the carpet making you both struggle and groan. Yeonjun lands face flat on the queen mattress, heaving. 

“Ill order the pizza, can you get my laptop? I brought some drinks and snacks from home so we don't have to buy those.” 

Yeonjun watches as you rummage through the bag filled with home goods. You had brought whatever you thought would be useful to him; soap, shampoo, towels, some dishes, canned foods, homemade dishes that were able to be frozen, anything really that could save him time and money. Yeonjun’s heart almost exploded at the sight of you carrying the pink duffle bag, smiling so wide as you excitedly showed him what you were able to snatch.

 He could tell the idea of a new apartment excited you too. Earlier in the year, he had imagined himself asking you to move in with him, to maybe take that chance. He had no reason not to. You had been together for a while now, and things were getting serious with each passing day. He couldn't imagine seeing the relationship ending…ever. He had been so serious about you since day one and he could tell you saw him as the sure thing too, and when the opportunity came up, of renting his own space, it was waking up to you that was the first thought in his head. But… he was nervous. He had heard from friends that some relationships don't last the ‘living together’ stage. Those arguments about different ways of living can become bigger ones, ones that question if the pairing ever made sense. It scared him, what if he was too messy? What if you didn't like the way he had late night snacks at night, or the fact that he would stay at the dance studio for long periods of time? Most of these things you knew already, but you didn't have to deal with it really at your own house. He questioned if the fear of losing you was bigger than the want of spending every waking moment he could with you, he knew the answer but was just scared to make the realization. 

“Pizza is ordered!” You plop next to Yeonjun, now on his back, on the mattress, “which one?” you hold up two drinks for him to pick, he takes one from your hand and places it nearby before nudging at your hips to lift. He places you on his stomach, your legs straddling his sides. 

“You don't have curtains yet.” You whispered, red tint spreading from your face down to your neck. 

He laughs, “What are you thinking in that head of yours? I just wanted to be near you.” 

“Whatever! I was just reminding you!” You squeak, covering your face with your hands. He laughs again, rubbing his hands up and down from your thighs to your waist, thinking about it again. It could be like this everyday, not having to worry about roommates or parents barging in, no moments of awkwardness, no disruptions, just the look in your eyes as you stare at him in the comfortable silence that settles between the two of you.

“What do you think about a coffee table? I know you said your furnishing budget was short and I was at the thrift store the other day and they had this really nice antique…” 

If you do say yes, what would it mean? Was it too soon for him to think about the next year with you? The next five? Ten? He can imagine it all. He wanted it all. 

“Will you move in with me?” He says, catching you off guard. 

“Huh?” 

“...Moving in… would you move in with, um, with me? You don't have to, it was just like a thought-” 

“You want to live with me?” Your eyes, that were practically popped out in shock as you looked down at him, softened. 

“I want to do everything with you.” Yeonjun knows your face mirrors his in redness. 

Your eyes water, and you try to stop yourself from smiling. “You're so cheesy…”

“I would love to.” You whisper. you're now leaning in closer, and Yeonjun, with a heart so heavy and ready to spill, feels impatient that he must meet you halfway, folding his elbows behind him to lean on. He connects your lips immediately, and his heart sighs and yours must too the way he feels you relax above him, bringing your hands to his hair, your nails raking through his scalp. He would never say this to you, in fear of maybe scaring you off, but he saw your future in this specific kiss, where you both experience moments of success, of happiness, of sadness and tragedy, but you were experiencing it together, and he couldn't imagine it with anybody else. 

That night as the movie played, with no actual audience, Yeonjun felt relieved that his parting days were over. He wouldn't have to say goodnight to you, wouldn't have to detach himself from your lips, your arms, leaving him cold and wanting more. You could be the first thing he sees in the morning and the last thing he would see at night, and to him, that was all he could ever really want.

A/N: You made it! Thank you so much for giving it a chance! Its not my strongest but she my first finished baby in a long time... Please tell me your thoughts!! tell me you hate it, tell me you love it, anything im open to suggestions, tips, im a crier tho fair warning, but I won't tell you I cried (A win for you!)

[zum1udontno]

The Chosen One, the Second Coming and the color gang have clearly seen Alan, but I'm honestly unsure if Victim has. We see that Victim clearly associates Alan with the cursor, rather than the entity on the other side of the screen.

There are a few explanations for this. Probably the most likely is just that Victim never had the opportunity to actually look through the screen to see Alan's true form. His entire existence was spent running from the cursor and whatever it was going to do to him. The only time we see him still, without running for his life, is on May 15th when he stops responding.

He probably wasn't in the right mindset to take in any details, or remember them. However, he does know that Alan is away from his computer- that's why he takes the opportunity to escape. Whether he saw the Alan behind the screen walk away, or just made a guess based on how the cursor locked him a box and stopped moving, is unclear.

A really interesting possibility, which probably isn't the case but is fun to think about, is that Victim recognizes Alan the human as something that exists, but doesn't draw a connection between it and the cursor. His life, as an animation, is (was) tied to the computer programs. When the Flash 8 program was closed without saving, Victim was destroyed. That doesn't mean Victim is a part of Flash 8, or vice versa; his existence is (was) just irrevocably tied to it.

With how little of the world Victim had experienced back then, he could have been under the impression that Alan and the cursor work the same way. The cursor's ability to take action is based on Alan the human's presence, but Alan himself isn't directly related to the cursor. This is incorrect, but it's a reasonable conclusion for Victim to come to.

A minor hole in this theory is that we know Victim's investigation into the cursor is thorough. We saw the wall of newspaper printouts. If he saw Alan's face, there's no way he wouldn't at least doodle it and stick it on the wall with a few question marks beside it.

-------

A theory I considered is that stick figures simply couldn't see into the real world on older computers. I had thought that PCs back in 2007 wouldn't have built-in webcams; and without those, there would be no way for the computer to parse the outside world. Webcams in general existed back then, but I thought they only existed as external devices that Alan wouldn't have purchased and set up in his laptop-on-the-floor setup. However, this is incorrect. Built-in webcams existed in laptops in 2007; there are forum posts dating to that year asking about them. Furthermore, Alan's laptop does have a webcam.

(Adjusted brightness and contrast for visibility. It was a bit hard to see otherwise.)

Also, even if webcams weren't relevant, the short you mentioned shows the stick figures interacting with where Alan's finger is touching the screen, implying they're seeing through the screen itself. Ah well, it was fun to consider.

I'm gonna THEORY CRAFT for a second about Animator vs Animation 11. Because there's something SUPER WEIRD I've noticed about the way camera shots are orchestrated in recent animations. Specifically about -

THE LAPTOP SCREEN.

And even more specifically what Alan (and the real world) may look like to the stickmen.

We've known for a while now that 3D space was possible outside of the Laptop since AvA 7 (March 11, 2019).

But the camera angle on the Laptop has always been in 2D space until very recently!

Our first introduction to a 3D environment in Alan's Desktop was Green's Influencer Arc (Uploaded Sept 7, 2024).**

(Look how insanely massive the inside of the laptop looks now.)

But throughout the entire Influencer Arc the camera was NEVER pointed towards the outside of the laptop, to the real world. It is always tilted so that we can't see it.

((And even more weird in this Green's video, is which the left most wall is covered a solid white, whereas, us - the audience - can see through this wall when looking through the screen. wth is happening))

--------------

Our most recent scene of a 3D Laptop space (as of writing this) is in AvA 11, where Victim is drawn and killed.

Again, the outside world, through the screen, is never shown. Although we do get extremely close with Mitsi's Creator. But it's coincidentally obscured by the internet explorer window.

--------------

And last of all- the thing that got me really questioning this camera choice - is something I noticed back in AvA 10 (Nov 4, 2023). When The Chosen One is having his memory scanned, he purposefully causes the screen to blur as he enters Alan's Laptop. (You have to put it in .5 speed to really notice.)

And guess what The Chose One does the second he gets to Alan's laptop. He stares daggers at Alan.

--------------

So what does this mean?

It means the camera is being specifically shot at angles to never address how the Stickfigures see Alan and the rest of the world.

And what does that mean???

I HAVE NO IDEA. But I kinda hope it's leading up to a scene where we DO see the stickfigures addressing it. BECAUSE HOLY HELL THAT WOULD BE SO SICK.

..........

Wait-**

Wait wait wait wait wait-

This ACTUAL SHORT from August 2023 shows the screen??? Are you fricking serious.

I am going to explode now <3. --------

Nah, in all seriousness, I would still LOVE to see the camera angle change for dramatic effect in the "main series". Because it just feels like the hints are leading up to it. ❤️❤️❤️ I'm really enjoying the series either way and was having fun theorizing here :)

_______________________________________________

And don't even get me started on why almost all animations/stickfigures are oblivious to Humans or strait up don't know about them. LIKE- wtf are all these posters

"Are We Being Watched?", "Tiles in the Sky", "What's Beyond Our World?", "Origins of the Stick Figure"

DUDE WHAT THE HELL. Are Alan's stick figures the only ones who've seen humans??? Do any other stickmen know humans created them? Ahhhhhhh

[randomsy1uslvr]

I'm kinda nervous to post pretty much any kind of stuff on social media, but a friend of mine encouraged me to do so anyway :p

I have a lot of inspiration lately, so I really want to start posting random fanfics and doodles of lads and I think this very short fic is a good way to start it :p

---

dragon!Sylus/Sylus x MC || angst/comfort

961 words

---

Back when the Sylus' myth event was released, it never left my mind and at the time I so needed the comfort and spontaneously wrote this... oneshot if I can call it like that.

I hope you'll enjoy this very short fic and just to mention if I have any mistakes, English is not my first language, so I apologise in advance >.>

---

My shaky hands are covered in a dark, sticky liquid. My vision is blurry, I hardly can recognise anything. My heart feels like it skips some beats and I feel like my lungs are empty of oxygen. I try to breath but it feels almost impossible for me. I try to realise what just happened. The growls right in front of me bring me back to reality. My vision slowly focusing on the figure right before me. White haired, covered in pitch black scaly parts, breathing hard and shaky. I recognise him. Sylus. He's weak and just mere seconds have passed before he fell on his knees, twisting and holding his clawed hands before the big sword that was stuck in his chest. I pierced him. Why did I do that? The voices were too loud… I… I couldn't…

«Sylus!» I cried out, tears forming in my eyes. «This can't be true…! Sylus, look at me!»

I cupped his face in my hands forcing him to look up at me, but I notice how his gaze is slowly getting blurry.

«No! No no no no no…! I'm— I'm so sorry— I didn't mean to…!» I shake the dragon's face slightly. «Hang in there!»

Nothing helps. I see his life slowly leaving his gaze. The spark that used to be in his eyes is nowhere to be seen... They are blank now. Lifeless. Cold. His body only finding support from my hands feels unnatural, weird. My eyes are wide in shock. I can't believe he's gone… My dragon is gone… And that's my fault. I killed him.

Tears that were holding on the edge of my eyelids finally slipped and started running down my cheeks like a river. My voice shaky, I tried to call him, scream so he could hear me. Hope that he'll return. But it's no use. He's not coming back. In realisation I bite my lips together to silent the cries and wrapped my arms around his dead body, bringing him closer to me. My lips parted and another cry came out even louder than the ones before.

«Sylus…!» I whispered with my voice so weak. My face cold of all the tears that still couldn't stop falling down my face directly on my pillow. I sobbed and immediately threw my hands on my phone choosing a contact to call.

I waited for a few seconds before a familiar voice finally call out.

«Calling so late, Kitten? Did you miss me so much?» I couldn't answer to that teasing voice for another few seconds and before the man on the other end of the call could say anything else I sobbed again, loud enough for him to hear that.

«Sylus… can you come pick me up now…?» I spoke weakly weeping in between the words. It was silent for a moment and then I finally hear his voice again. More serious now.

«I'll be there in a few minutes,» and then he hang up the call.

I tried to wipe my face to get rid of the moist on my face but the tears just won't stop coming out. I don't know how much time has passed but now I heard the knock on my door. I barely could move. I gave up on trying after a few attempts on getting up to open the door. But now I noticed, it wasn't needed anyways, because the door was easily opened from the outside. Did I forget to lock it? It didn't matter right now. I couldn't see much in the dark, but I could recognise a tall figure coming in to my apartment.

I heard someone calling my name and like a strange force, something pushed me out of my bed when I heard his voice. It wasn't his Evol, it was something else… something from inside of me. I ran towards the tall figure and hugged him tightly. The man standing in my dorm was surprised, but he quickly came to understanding and placed his hands softly around me, slightly caressing me and shushing comfort words. «It's alright now. You are safe now.»

I didn't dare to look up at him, my face pressed to his chest wetting his shirt with my tears. «You are here…» I whispered as quietly as it could get but Sylus still could hear them.

«Of course I'm here. I'm always here for you, sweetie,» his voice soft and calming, his hands brushing my back in a soothing way. «Did you had a bad dream? Tell me about it,» he never stopped caressing me.

«I— I thought I killed you…» I sobbed in between. «I thought I'll never see you again…» I didn't see his face but I knew he had his smirk on it and the softest eyes looking down at me. «That I'll never see my dragon again…»

Something triggered Sylus from within. I could feel that by how he's body reacted and his hand stopping brushing me. Before I could take a glance at him he put his hand on my head instead and petted it lightly. Then he followed me to my bed and sat me down on it. Now I could recognise his face features. His soft smile, the look in his eyes when he sees me. His thumb brushing the rest of my tears off.

«It was just a bad dream, sweetie. There is nothing you should worry about,» he layed me down with him and carefully wrapped his arms around me, bringing me closer to him. «Your dragon will never leave you. I want you to know that,» after his words I felt his lips ever so soft on my forehead leaving a light kiss on it.

[twst-aceofhearts]

Reddened

a/n: I'm so sorry this took so long TT - there may be a pt 2 idk depends on how busy I'll be with school - also don't ask why i posted this at 2:30 am

~sorry if you're not good at math but I had Yuu be good at it for the sake of this fic~

pairing: Deuce x Yuu

words: 1606

taglist: @luxaryllis @thegoldencontracts @waterthatsmoe @ai-kan1

Deuce has been getting tutored by Yuu due to Professor Crewel’s orders. They didn’t mind, of course! They’ve been friends with Deuce for a while now. Although, lately, he’s been acting a bit weird.

“I-I think I get it now!” Deuce’s face turns red as Yuu’s hand accidentally brushes against his.

Yuu smiled. “That’s good. Here—try one more time and we can take a break.”

Deuce nods, his face still pink. He takes his pencil and answers a math question. “Is this…right…?” He gives a sheepish smile, trying not to look at Yuu directly in the eye.

Yuu picked up his notebook, looking over what he wrote. “It’s right,” They handed it back to him, placing it in front of him.

Deuce lets out an exhale, relief taking over his expression. “I’m really starting to get the hang of this…”

He glances up at Yuu to study their face, his eyes darting from their eyes to the corners of their mouth, then to Yuu’s cheek. He suddenly looks like there’s something on his mind.

Yuu tilted their head. “Deuce?”

Deuce quickly turns away, trying to hide his reddening face. He’s been staring at Yuu for a moment too long and he knows it. He doesn’t exactly know how to respond when Yuu addresses it.

“Huh?” he says, his voice cracking. “I-I’m just thinking.” 

His hands fidget with the pen in his hands, still avoiding eye-contact.

“Uh…okay. You want to go grab a drink from the vending machine and take a break?” Yuu paid no mind to it, rummaging through their bag for their wallet.

“S-sure, yeah, that sounds good!” Deuce replies. The break would give him the chance to clear his head a little.

Deuce shuts the textbook, placing his pen on top of the hard cover. He stands up, waiting for Yuu to do the same.

Yuu nodded, finding their wallet and standing up beside him. “Let’s go.”

Deuce follow Yuu, walking out of the library. He can’t help but sneak glances at Yuu from time to time as they make their way down the hall. He struggles to keep his eyes on the path ahead of him, his eyes darting away whenever they looked in his direction, trying to hide his embarrassment.

Yuu suddenly stopped in place, causing him to bump into them. Deuce lets out a surprised ‘oof’ as he collides into them. He stumbles back a little, regaining his footing before addressing Yuu. 

“Why’d you stop? What’s the matter?”

Yuu raised an eyebrow at him, pointing at the vending machine beside themself.

Deuce’s eyes followed the direction of their finger. He blinked once before he realized what they were pointing at. “O-oh,” he mutters, “right…”

With Yuu standing so close next to him, Deuce is becoming aware of his body, and the fact that him and Yuu were practically touching.

“Which one do you want?” Yuu went through their wallet, taking out a few thaumarks.

It takes a second for Deuce’s mind to understand what Yuu was asking. He’s too focused on the feeling of Yuu being right next to him. “Huh? Oh, um…”

He quickly scans the drink selection, searching for the one he likes. The last thing he wanted to do was make them wait long enough for Yuu to get suspicious of his behavior. “I’ll take the strawberry one,” he answers, “if it’s not too much trouble.”

“Yeah, sure,” Yuu inserted the thaumarks, getting a strawberry for Deuce and a [flavor] one for themself.

Deuce watches as Yuu use the vending machine to get the drinks. His heart is racing, still trying to calm his nerves. He mentally scolds himself for being flustered over something as stupid as standing too close to them. Yuu has done things like this before plenty of times. Why was it bothering him so much now?

Deuce lets out a defeated huff, accepting that he’s going to continue feeling this way for the rest of the day. He can only hope to not act like too much of an idiot around them.

“We should go back now before someone steals our stuff,” Yuu handed him his drink, before taking a sip of their own.

Deuce nods in agreement, taking the drink from their hand. He’s still feeling a little flustered, and he’s worried they might notice. He  takes a sip of the drink in order to avoid having to speak.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While walking back, Yuu suddenly spoke up. “Can I try yours?”

Deuce nearly chokes on his drink when they ask him to share. He wasn’t expecting anything like that, swallowing hard before stammering a response. 

���U-uh, sure…?”

Yuu let out a grateful hum, drinking from the straw—the same straw where he drank from.

Deuce stares in silent shock. When Yuu pulled away, he’s left a little breathless. He didn’t even think that they’d want to do that. The act of sharing a drink felt very personal to him—not that he’s opposed to the idea. In fact, he’s already imagining drinking from the same place as them again.

“Here you go. It’s refreshing. You have good taste,” Yuu complimented, handing him his drink back.

Deuce manages to find the words to speak again, a little embarrassed by Yuu’s compliment. He takes the drink back, wrapping his fingers around the plastic bottle. 

“Y-yeah, it’s my favorite,” he says, trying to keep his voice steady. Taking their praise like that made  him flustered in a way he couldn’t explain. He wanted to hear them say that again, and again, and again.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Back in the library, Yuu plopped down in their chair, letting out a small sigh—relieved that nothing was stolen.

Deuce follows Yuu’s lead, sitting next to them. He’s still feeling the after effects of their compliment—he had practically been left speechless afterwards. Even now, he’s silently fidgeting with his hands. He glances in Yuu’s direction from the corner of his eye. He was wondering if Yuu could see how red his cheeks were.

“...Deuce? Are you okay? Your face is redder than Riddle’s hair,” Yuu chuckled, opening the textbook once more to start the next topic.

Deuce’s eyes snap to Yuu when they address his red face. He silently panics, trying to think of a way to respond that wouldn’t be suspicious.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine!” He tries to laugh it off, but it comes across as a little too hasty. “It’s just a little warm in here, that’s all!”

“...? It’s 60 degrees (F) in here though plus air conditioning,” Yuu blinked twice while looking up, their eyes meeting his.

Deuce winces a little at their comment. He knows it’s not real convincing, but he it’s not like he can suddenly drop the “Oh yeah, I have a crush on you” card right away at random. 

As Yuu’s eyes meet his, he could suddenly feel the redness in his cheeks spreading to his ears.

“I-I don’t know, I guess I’m just…” he trails off, looking for a way to end his sentence that isn’t a lie. “I’m just feeling a little off today, that’s all.”

Yuu shrugged, pushing the textbook with the correct page in front of him. “If you say so.”

Deuce lets out a quiet sigh of relief as they drop the subject. He’s silently grateful that Yuu hadn’t pushed anything further, turning his attention to the hardcover book in front of him and trying to focus on what he’s supposed to do. There were still things he needed to fully get a grasp of.

After a moment, Deuce speaks up again. “Can I ask you something really fast?”

Deuce hesitates, not sure how to phrase his question. Well, go big or go home as they say.

“How do you know if you, um…have feelings for someone?”

“...oh wow,” Yuu was expecting a question more related to the topic of geometry, not…relationship advice. 

“Well…” they trailed off. “...I guess if you feel happy with them and look forward to seeing them again.”

“Right,” he nods. That’s a given, he thought. There were more specific signs he was wondering about though.

“What if you also get really…flustered when you’re around them. Like, you get this feeling in your chest, and your heart starts beting really fast. And you can’t concentrate on anything else because they’re the only thing on your mind. And when they stand too close, you get all dizzy and stuff…is that a sign of having feelings for someone?”

Yuu blinked. “That’s oddly specific. Do you have a crush on someone or something?”

Deuce freezes at their question, his eyes wide. It was like the read his mind. “I…I’m just curious,” he says, trying to keep a composed tone. It’s a little strained.

“Then…yeah. That too.”

Deuce nods in response, trying to hide his nervousness. Their words don’t help him feel any better about his situation. If anything he’s more flustered now.

He thinks back to all the times he’d experienced all the things he asked them about—of all the times it happened around them. The realization causes him to feel his heart pound in his chest again. It definitely wasn’t just a small crush he had on Yuu.

“...Deuce, you know you can tell me anything right?”

Deuce looks back up, making eye contact. He can see that genuine look in their eyes—they’re being serious right now, silently telling him he doesn’t have to hide anything from Yuu.

He’s a little torn on what he should do. Should he be honest with you—telling you the truth? Should he try and push these feelings away—hoping they go away eventually? After a moment of silence, Deuce musters up enough courage to answer. 

“Yeah… I know.”

credit to @cafekitsune for divider

[blueraith]

Something I'd like to say here in a far less grumpy manner than I admittedly usually text post, but as a reminder: fanfiction writers are creating content for you for free and they are not professionals on the New York Times Best Sellers list.

And what I mean by this is they no, you really don't need to make a post that's an "honest review" about another person's fan work on social media. That's not what the fanfiction community is about. Yeah, some of the most commonly recommended stuff won't be perfect. You might know of a work that's of high quality but has received less attention.

Build those works up instead. Make a glowing review about it.

But imagine for a moment that an author stumbled upon a post that's tearing down their work more than it is praising them. That would be enough to encourage particularly green writers from never posting again.

And there's certainly a way to deliver constructive criticism too, particularly ON ao3 directly towards the author. I'm not saying never be critical ever, but let's be real here. Delivering constructive criticism without being harsh about it is a skillset that a lot of folk on the internet don't really have.

I'm not trying to start shit, I'll name no names, but like think about this stuff. Creating fanworks takes hours of effort, and you put a lot of yourself in them. And frankly, I've found that people are FAR harsher with fic than they are towards fanart, in my experience. It takes guts to post publicly.

And always remember the great nugget of wisdom from Bambi: if you can't say nothing nice, don't say nothing at all

[velvetvexations]

--- somehow i don't think the trans radfem movement thinks aphobia is a fine word to exist

It's almost quaint. Almost.

Why is there a wave of trans radfems defending 4chan boards

I'm going to need to be pointed to this if only because I'm going to get dinged for spreading malicious lies about trans women being "Nazis" otherwise, but lmfao if true.

wtf kind of hill is txttletale dying on now?

I mean she's still a tankie fuck but apparently now she's also getting in on the transmisogynistic harassment campaign game.

isn't "doll" specifically a fetish term? that is really not something people should be applying to other people without making sure it's ok first.

No, it's a Black ballroom term that trans women started running with.

People on this site are taking pissing on the poor to a whole new goddamn level “telling people that this person is/has sexually harassed someone who was a minor is calling everyone with their identity a pedophile”, I’d blame the school system but that really was a choice not to actually read and relay

it's definitely malicious

joan jett in the mv for i hate myself for loving you is like, unbearably beautiful

so true

it’s so obvious that these people choose to isolate themselves in a dimension crafted out of their own self-hatred that they care more about hurting their oppressors (and people who don’t even oppress them) than uplifting people hurt by systems of oppression. sometimes i think i’m bad but then i come across people like that and realise i’m relatively well-adjusted

inspiring innit

post addressed to trans women from a trans woman about trans women –> trfs in the notes: “why are you telling me to be nice to trans men?”

they have their priorities

absolutely wild to say that transunitists are 2010-reddit-style mras and then say things like "afab privilege." yeah those afabs with their wielding of power. and i bet they get free drinks at every bar and their bosses promote them for being pretty, huh.

they get upset at having their logic compared to MRAs because it's implicit misgendering (never mind that they directly call random trans men MRAs and radfems as well) but I'm not sure what they expect when they talk at length about how all of those fucking evil AFAB bitches are just waiting for their chance to screw you over with a false rape accusation

"pick me" is AAVE, and, like all white girls, they're overusing and misusing it until it has no meaning left 🙄

I actually wasn't aware of that. Neat. Disputed? See replies.

a lot of this going on is just reminding me once again of the intense monogenderism that really never gets worked on. It’s super awkward as a multigendered individual and an intersex one

it also just really feels so fucking tone ignorant the way people talk.

society still calls traits of men or masc, some even actively choose to agree while still being a counter to it gender but obviously real trans women don’t so attacking those things would never hurt them, and multigender trans woman who are also men? Obviously fake.

the English language is so fucking insufficient

I honestly wish every asshole who seems to think the ability to mask as complete cis and definitely just your assigned gender is a privilege had to live in my head for the holiday season. I am entirely in the closet with my family because of bigotry I have no other choice than living with my family for multiple reasons I just spent the entire winter holiday pretending to be a woman answering to my deadname being called aunty and sister and daughter and not being able to say jack shit about it without even being able to retreat to the solace of my friends afterwards because they are all busy with their own families. I want those assholes to experience the emotions and thoughts I just went through and come out the otherside and see if they still think that this is a fucking privilege.

Love you anon. <3

that anon telling on themselves so hard saying transmisogynys "far deeper" than transphobia. literally why on earth would you phrase it like that if the point was anything besides "my *special* oppression is way more poignant and meaningful than your boring regular oppression"

lmao right though it's so obviously just trying to mark their thing as having more dramatic flair

do you keep a backup of your blog with a program like tumblthree? there's a lot of valuable posts on it, and tumblr is almost distressingly transitory.

I don't, but noted.

[theohshit-r-official]

Long-as-hell OOC post incoming

So, I feel I should probably clarify this, on account of shit going on in the zeitgeist re: Lancer RP on here, and because I and this blog am not an entrenched figure in the community here, so it pays to be as clear as possible what I am here for:

First, let me clarify: this is not about anyone in particular, and god knows I'm guilty of not doing some of the shit I'm going to recommend here. Second, this is, in addition to not being about any one person but instead the different microcultural elements I've noticed on here, mostly a post to explain what *I* am going for with this blog so that *YOU* can decide if or how you want to engage with it and me.

The primary purpose of this blog is as follows and as I will elaborate on here:

To serve as a place for people to dump their shitposts, serious opinions, and in-world takes they don't necessarily want to put out via an established character blog or their main in a more centralized place. This means I WILL publish most shit people send, even if some of the implications are not so great, though I won't publish some of the more egregious shit on account of it sucks. See this article [LINK HERE] for an example of something similar being done by a real world political figure (notably, a known inspiration for the Ungratefuls' Tyrannocleave) for a much better purpose than mine.

This ALSO means I will likely be publishing from people not immersed in the community or party to your established norms. I understand that online spaces largely run on reputation, but I, out of character as well as to some extent in, am an academic and I'm pretty well informed of both positive and negative consequences of this, and this is an intentional choice. DM me or send an ask labeled as OOC if you want to talk about this, I'm happy to discuss it, I'm just not likely to change my stance on it on account of "This is a heavily established, pretty well-researched concept in human social dynamics" so don't expect me to change what I'm doing from the jump. With that being said, let's lay out the motivation a bit:

Part of the appeal of LANCER that was explicitly intentionally designed by its creators is that there are both large structures of recalcitrant, sticky politics (see: Albatross hunts pirates, a group known to exist largely due to economic suffering, for a megacorp that sells weapons to pirates; the KTB is required to maintain an absurd level of extractive industry by Union, which favors their most abjectly fucking awful major house politically; etc) that serve as a shared bedrock for engagement and are pointedly shitty as hell *AND* large swathes of space where you can largely do pretty much whatever you want and have things be as good or as bad as you want so long as you avoid having them be run directly and heavy-handedly by the major players (as a brief sidebar, if you want an example of someone doing an excellent job of navigating the intersection of the larger players and the open, freer space and a damn good homebrew module, I highly recommend Vex Werewolf's In Golden Flame Act 1 [LINK HERE]). LANCER is a game where both the narrative impetus and mechanics are intrinsically tied to political context and dynamics, and the way LANCER allows for space from that for players and GMs is to have a lot of literal space unaccounted for.

The implication of this, of course, is that it is intended to be an equally valid mode of enjoyment to get really into the weeds of the established politics (hello, Siren Song, cannot WAIT to play an idiot in you and see how you break her) OR to not do that and avoid it entirely, but, and this is key, you cannot really feasibly do both at once reliably at scale without a lot of care and awareness, and I do not think that that is a reasonable expectation to have of total strangers on Tumblr. The official Discord community for this game has a rule to the effect of "Do not use your comfort to stifle political discussion unless ABSOLUTELY necessary" (very, very roughly paraphrased), and instead encourages disengaging from shit you do not want to deal with. To give an example of how that translates to practical domains, in the context of the game, if you didn't want to have to deal with Harrison culture, you wouldn't play a game on Ras Shamra, so why would you choose to pursue a conversation with someone playing a proud character from Ras Shamra on here if you don't want to hear what that character would say?

A lot of the conflict on here seems to stem from people being frustrated with people from one side of the aisle or the other interacting with them without establishing rules of engagement and/or where they stand on "I want to enjoy a sci-fi power fantasy without thinking too much about the implications" versus "I really want to dig in on the psyche of a proud Harrison soldier," both of which are equally valid ways to engage with the setting and the game. They come into conflict in no small part because many people in the prior category are expressly interested in using the mechanics of a mecha setting to tell a mostly feel-good story without the political meat and grit of the original setting materials, which, I'll especially note, is not something people coming from other mecha contexts are likely to expect. This means that you have a conflict between people interested in one mode of engagement (which, if I had to guess, comes more frequently from a general tabletop gaming background) and others interested in a very different mode of engagement coming from differing backgrounds, including but not limited to the broader world of mecha fans.

(NOTE: I am not saying that these groups are totally distinct or that this is the sole reason conflict happens, I'm just trying to give a more fleshed out example for people who are less familiar with the draw of the grit. I think the mecha community is a good example for this, as it is both something that a lot of people are peripheral to AND a cultural context a lot of people really don't understand from the outside)

Let me elaborate a little here on where the mecha side of things is coming from, for those of you less familiar. The arguable single most influential piece of mecha media in much of the world (Neon Genesis Evangelion) is in part an express exploration of the ethics of military recruitment and the use of child soldiers. The fact that this piece of media has recently been used to sell McDonald's does not change that weight in the culture of mecha media, nor does it change that, historically, mecha is a genre about war. The most prolific mecha series by far is Gundam, whose villains famously have a point and whose protagonists infamously tend to develop through deeply traumatic realizations that they may not be the unambiguous good guys they thought they were. Mecha media, on the whole, pointedly cultivates a strong sense of engagement in setting geopolitics, the ethics and process of war, and the role of individuals as vehicles of violence, and people coming from a heavy mecha background are likely to be invested in exploring these themes.

That being said, I totally respect wanting to engage with it from another angle, but you can see how people wanting a more free-form, canon-lite experience and people who are coming from a mecha background looking for the nitty gritty of the established, shared setting could come into conflict, particularly when it comes to making claims about established parts of the setting. Of course, in character conflict is fine and well and dandy if that's what you're going for, no shame in that, this is more to do with the out of character aspects, including how you respond to and handle in character conflict.

Here's the thing: this dichotomy of interest does not favor a single, fully connected network of people heavily interacting. It does not favor a community with a single set of hard norms. It favors a lot of individual level variation, it favors many smaller sets of norms between individuals, and it favors good communication about those differences. I am aligned with the creators of LANCER in that I think both approaches to engaging with the material have value, and I want there to be space for both here, and I agree with them that the two are not always compatible. To preserve space for both, we need to prioritize curating our own experience over policing others', which, I know, shocking that the person who linked Anarchists Welcome would make a statement about taking an anarchistic approach to maintaining a stable, healthy social context which allows for conflict.

This is one of the reasons that I, in running this blog, have consciously chosen to almost exclusively respond to other people's posts who I actually have spoken to out of character, despite Umommiest being an extremely vocal HORUS shitposter, because I often cannot tell from character blogs what their relationship to the shared text is and their interest in different modes of interaction. This is ALSO why I'm going to be fairly indiscriminate in publishing asks and submissions, and only have Umommiest respond to what gets sent in when either prompted directly by the material or when it is plainly a shitpost that allows for some play (see also: the 8 year old seeking liberation via artillery platform and soft target elimination frames). As is quite well known in the kink community, consent does not occur in character, and personal norms and interests should be established outside of them. If there is a character blog on here that you have concerns about or want to interact with but are unsure how to proceed, DM them and check in, the same way that you would talk to someone if you wanted to join a game of pickup basketball or something. This is a social activity, social activities have fairly well established means by which to initiate them in a more intentional manner, let's make a point to start using them more consistently.

With that being said, if there is a character blog that you do not want to see, block them. There will be characters that people choose to play that you personally A will not like and B may not wish to engage with. Use the curation tools you have rather than relying on norms all the time, as norms develop from consensus and require other people to change to work. You don't have to put it on others to tailor your experience. I will go somewhere else rather than deal with somebody I don't want to talk to at a bar, and this is a similar sort of interaction. Blocking is not a condemnation, it is a choice to not engage with someone or something you do not want to. On my end, I will be doing my best to consistently tag in-character posts, reblogs, etc with ohshitumommiest going forward so you can block the tag as described here [LINK HERE] if you want to see what people are submitting without any of Umommiest's commentary, responses, etc. I'm also thinking I'll move towards initially publishing even the shitpostier things without commentary and then following up with a reblog with the commentary (so if you want to see just what other people make and not her bullshit, that's cool, too).

For the record, I *am* personally interested in the politics of the setting and Umommiest is a character that is heavily written based on the canon. She is also, frankly, a HORUS shitposter of the highest and worst degree, if you can't tell from her demeanor, and will engage with people who comment in character on posts here as would reflect a highly informed, terminally online political agitator with no formal affiliation to anyone who sees all of her speech as largely without personal consequence. Part of the purpose of the ohshitumommiest tag is to allow you to engage with the submitted material without having to see if and how she replies to you if you are not interested in that. If you are, hey! Looking forward to having some fun together with this horrible girl I've made!

Frankly, I don't care where you fall on the spectrum/split of hard text engagement versus loose text as inspiration, but I do care that everyone has an outlet for shitposts and other art/thought pieces on the setting that they think are gold or at least fun but don't have a place for personally. I think Lancer fucking rules, and people have a lot of cool, funny, and beautiful thoughts and ideas on it regardless of affiliation on these grounds, and I want to make this a place to share them without too much worry of how they fit a given blog.

If that nondiscriminatory approach to publishing is unacceptable to you, cool, I don't care, block this blog. Maybe read the linked article first and see if that helps you see a different perspective a little, but, please, use the basic curation tools available to you on this site to help maintain a diverse community that reflects the varied appeal of LANCER's setting.

With that said, play ball, and I'm looking forward to continuing to see the awesome, wild, wonky, and frankly unhinged shit this community continues to create!

PS: if you want to anonymously publish something with a link or an image via this blog, please DM me and I will effectively spoof a submission so your blog does not have to be attached. You run the risk of me knowing that you sent it, but it doesn't get broadcast to the world.

PPS I know that there are some other folks on here who engage with other LANCER online communities (e.g., the official Discord) who share much of the opinions I expressed here, particularly the "Hey there are different, conflicting way to enjoy the setting, and having some understanding around that is healthy for the community" stance, so feel free to share this around as you like.

[smytherines]

I've been so fully invested in this spies are forever x severance au that I just had to write something for it. I'm not sure if I'll post it on ao3, all four people who are into spyverance are already beloved mutuals, but here's a little drabble based on this conversation between @szollibisz and @missholloween that I haven't been able to stop thinking about

"Curt... what are you doing?"

Shit. Curt glanced up at the mirror, but he didn't need to see Owen lingering in the doorway to know it was him. That strange lilting accent had been rattling around in Curt's head ever since he'd first heard it crackling over the intercom.

Curt scrambled to figure out something else-- anything else-- to tell him, but he had a dull pair of office scissors in one hand and half his beard was in the bathroom sink, so he figured he was already busted.

"I just-- uhhh--" And what could he say? That three days ago the new hire, fresh off another failed escape attempt, had mockingly told Curt that he'd be handsome if it wasn't for the beard? That he'd spent three days just thinking the word shave over and over again, hoping his outie would somehow get the message? That for some fucking reason he cared about the opinion of a man who had been nothing but trouble ever since he arrived on Chimera's severed floor?

He couldn't say that. So instead Curt silently watched in the mirror as Owen removed his dark brown suit jacket and folded it carefully over the top of a bathroom stall, unbuttoning the sleeves of his crisp white shirt to roll them up to just below his elbows.

"Alright, let's see it then."

Curt sighed and finally turned to face him. 

Owen's brow furrowed. His lips made a tight line, one finger pressed up against them like he thought it might be enough to hide that smirk on his face.

"We don't have any razors here..." Curt heard the whine in his voice as he trailed off, staring at a spot on Owen's collar to avoid meeting his eyes.

"Mm." Owen nodded, stepping in toward him until Curt was practically leaning up against the sink. "May I?"

God, he was close. Close enough that Curt could smell his aftershave, or cologne, or whatever he wore that smelled so good.

Curt managed to look up at him, and the bathroom felt smaller somehow.

Owen's eyes traveled down to Curt's hand, his palm outstretched, those long, slender fingers wiggling expectantly until Curt finally figured out what he wanted.

"Y'know, last time I gave you something you almost split my head open with it," Curt said, placing the handle of the scissors in Owen's hand, "So if you could do me a favor and--"

Owen held his free hand up in front of him, "I will try my level best not to break the skin this time."

"You get one," Curt warned, only half-joking. He still had a scar on his forehead from the mug Owen had launched at him. "Next time I hit back."

"Noted." 

Suddenly Owen's fingers were tipping Curt's jaw up, his thumb pinching onto Curt's chin to tilt his head.

Curt tried to remember the last time another person had touched him. There had been a handshake with Cynthia a few weeks earlier. But Curt had to formally request it, and it had been every bit as uncomfortable as he expected. 

Tatiana hugged him once, not long before her unexpected departure. And thinking back on it, that was the only other time Curt could remember someone touching him on purpose.

With his chin tilted up, and Owen hovering over him with pursed lips and those dull scissors, it was hard to avoid looking directly at Owen's face. 

And that wasn't a problem for him, really. Because Curt found that he liked looking at Owen's face. The crooked grin that peeked through on the rare occasion where he wasn't scowling. Large, deep-set amber eyes that always seemed to be looking for an exit. Eyebrows that twisted and wriggled almost as much as Owen's hands did when he spoke. 

Owen made him feel... something. Which was unnerving, because most of the time Curt couldn't feel anything but numb. Numb and nauseous, sweating and shaking more and more as the hours ticked by. His mouth was dry and his head was sore, and every day was the same boring bullshit in the same boring place.

And when Owen moved his hand away to begin cutting, Curt desperately wanted to pull it back down and press it against his skin. To feel that churning in his gut, that pressure in his chest. Feel the way his heart raced and he could hardly catch his breath. Feel something.

Owen's eyes narrowed, and he wasn't looking at Curt's jaw anymore, and just for a second Curt wondered if Owen felt something too. 

But it was just a flicker, so brief that it might have been a trick of the light. 

"We could--" Curt jolted out of his thoughts as Owen spoke again, "Do try and stay still, love," he tutted.

"Sorry, I was..." Curt didn't know what he was doing anymore. "What were you going to say?"

Owen glanced up, scanning Curt's face quickly and uncertainly before getting back to work. 

"I was going to say that if you're really that desperate for a change, we could always botch this. Give him--" Owen flicked his eyes toward the ceiling, "no choice but to shave it all off."

"Does it really look that bad? I thought it looked kinda... cool?" Curt said hopefully. His hands were shaking, but he tried to keep his voice even.

Owen's head bent down, tilted low enough that Curt couldn't see his eyes. His skin prickled as he braced himself for Owen to laugh at him or insult him. But instead Owen's voice came out unexpectedly soft and quiet.

"I think it would be an awful shame for you to hide yourself away."

That felt like something too. But before Curt could comment on it (not that he could think of anything to say), Owen had resumed cutting. 

"So that was a 'no,' on the sabotage idea, I take it?" Owen said lightly, like nothing had happened. So maybe nothing had happened, at least not for him. 

Curt took a breath, louder and more ragged than he intended. "Nah. He grew this beard, so he's probably already lost the will to live--" Owen chuckled at that, "I don't want to push him over the edge."

"You're far more merciful than I."

"Clearly." Curt laughed. Owen had threatened to chop his own fingers off as a threat to his outie, so the bar was admittedly pretty low.

"Well, if you won't allow me to take chunks out of it, I suppose my work is done here." Owen smiled, just slightly. His hand returned to Curt's face, brushing off the hair he had just trimmed. 

Owen's hand lingered on Curt's chin, two fingertips barely touching Curt's cheek, and Curt's heart was beating so loudly that he could hardly hear himself think. They were only a couple of inches apart now, and he wondered if Owen could hear it too.

Owen swallowed thickly. There was something in his eyes. Something more than a flicker. Something definite.

That was when Curt realized that his hand was on Owen's hip. 

He quickly snatched his hand away, his mouth already trying to form an apology that his mind hadn't come up with yet. He tried to put space between them, but Owen had backed him up into the sink and there was no place left to go.

Owen stumbled backwards. His face contorted painfully as his back connected with the far wall of the bathroom. 

"Owen, I--"

But he was out the door before Curt could finish. 

And there he was, alone again, shaking, with nothing but the blue tile walls and the blue tile floors, and one dark brown jacket.

[has-gilgamesh-doneanythingwrong]

It had been a long day in Chaldea. Walking excitedly through the halls, Ritsuka Fujimaru had thanked their lucky stars for not being apprehended by as many servants as usual. What with them plaintively crying for master's love and affection, though the antics were fun at first- even the likes of Ritsuka Fujimaru had a limit sometimes.

'Why can't Red Hare squish his tits against me too? Why is it only the hot ladies who do so??' Whilst pondering whether she could win the horse's affections with some extra carrots or so, fearsome red eyes marked themselves upon the ironed material of her back; metaphorically rendering her naked before the all-seeing eyes of the king.

It was none other than Caster Gilgamesh himself, staring hotly at the young mage. Prowling towards her with all the intensity of a lion, his face flushed with a rich red hue- was he drunk?

"....King Gilgamesh." Ritsuka started, throat thick with anticipation. "What is it? I knooow I've been behind on feeding you levelling materials, but-"

A golden-plated hand suddenly clattered against her shoulder, Gilgamesh's eyes twinkling with.... what seemed to be desire, his breaths exceedingly heavy.

"Er Gilgamesh, what's going on exactly-" He was breathing heavier than Raikou's breaths would be like within a bone-crushing hug. "Er... Gilgamesh-"

"RITSUKA FUJIMARU!" He declared at once, thrusting the mage within his skinny, yet powerful arms. "Come to Uruk. Embrace your new standing as my QUEEN!!!!" Gilgamesh all but declared, pressing his lips amorously against Ritsuka's bright orange hair. "Fill me with your essence at once, I beseech of you! This king starves without your wondrous touch- I... I desire you!!!!!!! FALL INTO MY ARMS!!"

Ritsuka could only blink in response, bewildered by Gilgamesh's sudden change in demeanour. 'Don't tell me that he actually drunk the LOVE POTION CE or something.' As a king whose curiosity couldn't even stop him from indulging within potions of youth, and explosive red buttons- it wouldn't be surprising if Gilgamesh had dosed up on something strange.

But then with how his red eyes were blazing with lust, chest pooling with warm sweat, as his lips had yet to part from Ritsuka's crown- alerted them of something otherwise.

'Wha- what... Though I do like a little skin contact... He's the last kind of character to be displaying his affections so openly...' What had happened to that ridiculous blush? Those fearsome words?

The Gilgamesh stood before her was nothing but an IMPOSTER.

"I think I'm good. Though I guess I'll never let you live this down... heheee... The mighty Gilgamesh, acting so frivolously... It's a novel sight!!" Chuckling to herself, Ritsuka's words aimed to pierce Gilgamesh directly in the heart, however; it caused the opposite effect instead, Caster Gilgamesh swooping her majestically within his arms.

"Such teasing words... I assume this is proof of our mutual attraction, my dearest mongrel."

"Ah? Huh???" The image of her beloved horse flashed within her mind, Ritsuka's hands flailing nervously at the misunderstanding. "N-No, I just found it funny that you were being so honest for once-?!!"

Now Gilgamesh's luxurious was perched right against her ears, breaths as desperate as a goat craving minerals. "Ohoho, Ritsuka.... I can be very sincere in my persuasions if need be. Let me show you the true depths of my love, let us consummate such burning desires post haste!!! TO MY ROOM!!"

'What the actual hell...' Now that was strange.

After suffering an eternity of Gilgamesh's romantic proclamations, Ritsuka finally managed to wrangle herself from Gilgamesh's iron-like grip (how did such a bowstring of a man pack such powerful strength and abs?).

Finally embarking upon the cool, relaxing doors of her private quarters, Ritsuka's back sagged with relief- only then for a dorito-shaped face and piercing gray eyes to regard her back.

"S-Saito?!" Now that was even weirder- usually the likes of Serenity and Kiyohime would be horrifying figures to encounter within her safe space- yet this time, the samurai had intruded instead; seated comfortably upon her bed. "What are you even doing-"

"Ritsuka, my beloved second wakizashi. I was a cop, see? I know my way around things such as locked doors."

"Erm... Okay." Was all that Ritsuka could say- until she noticed that her doujin pile has a solitary magazine that was out of place, face blanching in horror at the possibility of Saito reading her adult magazines. "Saito... You didn't snoop around here too, did you?"

"Just another benefit of being a member of the shinsengumi. I'm so skilled that you'll never know what I touched.'

'Okay... Very creepy... The actual fuck?!!!' Ritsuka did NOT anticipate having Saito Hajime's writing take such a creepy turn. "Well!! If you touch my things incorrectly, that can be rough on trust okay? So, at least ask before entering next time!!"

"Oh, Master. Master, master, master. I know that you want to escape Chaldea deep down." Saito shook his head, face marred with sorrow.

'Where the FUCK is this coming from???' Baffled, all Ritsuka could do was STARE as Saitou tucked her chin under his long fingers, staring right through her soul. "Saito- How did you even figure that out?"

"I'm always watching you. Always keeping an eye out for my little master. I wouldn't be a good servant otherwise, would I? Besides, you're my special little thing, after all."

'Bruh.' Ritsuka's eyes fluttered incomprehensibly for minutes, brain blank. "That's helpful, but-"

"What has Red Hare got that I haven't?" Saito's breaths were quiet, yet his gaze was boring holes into Ritsuka's chest, her heart yammering at an unbelievably fast rate.

"RED HARE?" Ritsuka spluttered, eyes wide. "What's he got to do with it?"

"Is it his horse c*ck?!" Saito's gaze was forlorn. "Sure, I can't match that, but I'm very talented with the sword, if you know what I mean." Leather arms wrapped Ritsuka into a steady hold, his gaze enquiring. "Tell me... Ritsuka."

"I can offer you all that he's got and more. Don't think that you can escape me, Master. I'll always be close by."

'UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA WHAT THE FUCKKKKKKKKKKK' Ritsuka's back was now pooling with oodles of sweat, her face filled with an embarrassed red wildfire of a blush.

"N-No, Saito- I'm good- I promise you, everything's okay- Mmph!" Now Saito had lightly pressed a finger to Ritsuka's lips, the sheer OUT OF CHARACTER-NESS of his personality stunning her into a frozen stupor.

"Master.... Chaldea's been so unfair to ya. Putting so much pressure on such a young person's shoulders." His statements were true, but was that REALLY an excuse to be pressing so closely to her? "Let me handle everything. I'll do anything you ask. Just say my name, and I'll get you out-"

"HAHAHA! OOPS I'M SORRY!!! I THINK I NEED TO ER... Go use the SUMMONING STUFF... AHAH! FOR AN EVENT!!" Lies rapidly spilt from Ritsuka's mouth at such an intense approach, craning away from Saito's pooling desire. "I er... Gotta eat the bricks! As they say!!!"

Before Saito could even utter another word, Ritsuka Fujimaru had fled, her entire self burning red.

'IS SOMETHING IN THE WATER TODAY???' Usually the ladies would be the one propositioning and bombarding her with their extreme affections- but now things had changed?! After surviving two encounters within a day, Ritsuka was horrified at the prospect of experiencing anymore.

As Ritsuka hurried down the halls, heart pumping with adrenaline- she failed to take notice of all the male servants fawning around her, eager to approach her; yearning to hold her, to embrace and pelter her with their own unique brands of affection-

But that would be a tale for another time.

'It's okay, calm down, calm down- We've got this- OOF!' So distracted was she by thoughts of the day that Ritsuka failed to swerve away from an approaching servant, the two of them clashing headfirst. "W-WHA!! I'm so sorry, I just missed the way and I-"

Before Ritsuka could even stutter out an apology, two strong, gloved hands reassured her by grabbing her within a safe hold, the servant's grip both soothing and secure all at once.

"Master. Your safety has been assured with my hands. I am most relieved." It was none other than Sigurd, his glasses twinkling like the sunlight.

"Ah, Sigurd! Thank you." Ritsuka audibly breathed a sigh of relief at the visitor, grateful to be in his hold. 'Phew...' Sigurd was one of the taken servants. With a wife like Byrnhild, he seemed very unlikely to be unafflicted by the very same curse as Gilgamesh and Saito-

A cute splash of pink grazed Sigurd's features regardless, awkwardly shuffling his glasses with his hand. "For you, Master... I'd endure any pain, any collisions that you wish for."

'Oh.' Fuck. "Haha, there's no need, Sigurd! You do great enough as my servant already. Hahahaha!!" There was no way... No way that Sigurd had been afflicted with the waifu disorder as well, right?!

'No way. This is Sigurd we're talking about here.' The man was as steadfast as a iron wall. 'There's no way he'd fall, too.'

"Well, about that... My Master. I would like to become more than just your loyal servant."

"Ehehe... What???" Ritsuka's laughter whittled out from that, her golden eyes wide with surprise. "What do you mean? I also... See you as an ally and a friend, you know!"

"Yes, but... I am so overjoyed whenever you pour your all into me. I want to pour every fibre of my being back into you as well. To perform even more tasks in your honor, and protect you with this very demonic blade... Nothing would bring me greater joy than being by your side."

"HUH!!!" Ritsuka could only screech in reply, speechless at Sigurd's rampant blushing, gobsmacked by the way he was nervously scratching his chin- yet his gaze was unwavering from Ritsuka's own, practically laying down his life for her. "I.... I mean, thank you- But I- Well, but you have you know... A wife...? Maybe you shouldn't proposition-"

"I HAVE TWO HANDS!!!" Sigurd all but declared, gripping Ritsuka's hands within his own. "It would be my utmost privilege to sacrifice this body upon the whims of not one, but two of my most worthy allies."

"A-ah, Sigurd.... Erm..." Utterly swept away by his soothing grip, Ritsuka's face is awash with confused feelings. "Erm... That's nice, but..."

"I understand. Cue the sad Megane Kiran." A drooping laser beam slipped from his eyes, shaped much like tears. "I am a very patient man, Master. I can wait as long as you possibly need to formulate a response to my offer. But always know...."

Wrapping Ritsuka within his arms, Sigurd was like something out of a cheesy romance novel.

"That you will always be held dear within my heart."

Whatever was in the water may not have been so bad, after all...

'Okay, who am I kidding here. This is absolutely WILD!!!! I'm not sure whether I'm LIVING FOR IT or LOATHING IT!!' Being hotly desired by the men of Chaldea certainly made for a new experience.

[backslashdelta]

I like to think that if you're in a fandom space posting AI art, it's because you just aren't aware of why that might be a problem.

So in case you aren't aware: the generative AI you might be using to create "fanart" is trained on a countless number of artworks created by artists whose permission was not asked. Or maybe it was, technically, intentionally buried in a terms of service document somewhere, or in an update which they could either accept or else delete an entire social media account with years of history. This "art" is only possible because of stolen art. When you post images created by generative AI, you are supporting that.

Also, fandom is about creation and community. Individuals and groups creating art of all sorts, and sharing it with each other. When you post AI art... you haven't really created anything. To me at least, that's kind of detracting from what fandom is about. I want to share and raise up works of art that my community has worked hard to create, not something generative AI spit out from a couple key word inputs.

I can't tell anybody here what to do. If you are posting AI art, I'm sure there are some people who will like it, who will share it, who will be happy to do so. But there will also be people who aren't happy about it. There will be people – and especially artists – who will be frustrated to see other people in their community who support this technology that has stolen directly from them. There will be people who will block you, who will refuse to interact with your posts, and it will make your community smaller.

I understand it's tempting, especially if you aren't an artist yourself. But if you want art that fits a specific prompt, there are other ways to get it that actually support the fandom community: submit your prompt to a fanartist who accepts prompts, or commission someone for a piece of art, or even give it a try yourself and start learning to actually make art!

I don't hate AI as a whole. I think there are a lot of really amazing things we can do with AI, if it's used correctly. But posting AI fanart is not one of them.

[vaguely-concerned]

I feel that during the first coffee date walk through the market, rye has a fraction of a millisecond's kneejerk trauma freakout of '...wait. wait. am I really catching feelings for a rich boy again. with how that went down last time. am I truly that stupid' (once derogatorily referred to quite openly at a party as 'young master anaxas' pet mortalitasi' to which the young master anaxas only grinned and shrugged and STILL you don't break up with his smug controlling ass for good for six more months because you have a desperate bottomless yearning pit where your self respect should go, twice shy lol). and then he actually looks at lucanis standing next to him getting harding spearmint to help with bad dreams and generally being so quietly thoughtful and sweet through the prosaic yet necessary medium of grocery shopping it makes me feel a little unwell to truly contemplate. and rye is like '*the softest fondest eyes anyone has ever turned on anything* ...you know what. I suspect we don't have to worry about that repeating, I think we're probably safe. I am comfortable being this level of stupid. (slowly dawning marital intent even at this stage)'.

(part of the reason rye buys NONE of illario's bullshit at all right from the beginning is that he's basically vaccinated against this exact type of dude after that relationship lol. charming suave guy who in the beginning pays you a lot of lavish attention and takes pains to make you feel special every time you're in a room with him -- but shallowly and mostly, it slowly dawns on you, when there's something he wants from you (and he's often doing it at the expense of someone else, raising you up to put someone else down and you won't believe this... it can turn into a seesaw at a whim. yay). and beneath that there's just a seething pit of resentment and inferiority complexes and bitterness left to fester until he can make it everyone else's problem and that IS going to start to bubble up between the cracks with you too if you stick around for long enough. no thank you been there done that wasted my youth and potential on it and all I got was this lousy shiny set of new emotional intimacy issues haunting me for life! trust me illario I HAVE, as it were, chosen the wrong dellamorte before, which is exactly how I know I didn't this time. go get him lucanis I've got your coffee

hilarious mental image: rye and illario sitting quietly together while everyone else is busy milling about during a cursed dellamorte family dinner (the vibes are so bad. you know the vibes are bad. sitting as still as you can and hoping for calm skies is your best bet without lucanis or teia favourite child privileges to work with) and rye out of the blue gazing thoughtfully into nothing over the edge of his glass with half-lidded eyes to go 'you know. you remind me a lot of my ex. not in a good way' and illario with absolutely no shame and hilariously also something that's the closest he ever gets to real sympathy going 'yeah, I get that a lot'. best talk those two ever had, unironically. their bond leveled up to its final form that day. *soulsborne boss defeated text* MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING REACHED)

[dawnlitbouquet]

! i was going to post this in the replies, but this got a bit long after i decided to compare the raw version and the hetarchive translated version,,, this is in regards to italy acknowledging germany trying to pursue a relationship ^_^'

ON THE BUON SAN VALENTINO STRIPS

i originally remembered the strips as veneziano not even realizing that germany was proposing to him, so i went back to read the strips again - and in the scanlation, that impression is maintained all the way up until two specific lines; 'but if you're giving me flowers, does this mean...' + 'i appreciate your feelings, really, but...'

so i thought for a second 'wait, i was wrong??? vene really did realize germany was proposing to him???'

but it gave off a different air from the previous lines which sounded more like italy still had 0 clue what germany was doing, so as a person sloooooowly learning japanese i took a look at the raw text. and

making it clear, i'm not GOOD at japanese and am struggling through my classes - but at least in the literal sense, the second line were looked a bit more like;

'I understand your feelings... Really...' - yoku wakaru is used here

while the first line... this is where my blatant inexperience hits me in the face, since i had to search up 'nante' and 'nanka' on the dictionary app even though i know that the nan (何) is likely to be a question

for people with better japanese than me, the exact line is [ でもドイツが俺に花くるなんてなんかこれってむ ] so do tell me if i've gotten the impression right; it reads more like 'but germany giving me flowers is / somehow, something like that / this is...'

it's still uncertainty, but it's incomplete in the sense that veneziano is trailing off

(the ios translate app directly translated it as [ but it's kind of that germany is giving me flowers ] which makes it sound like it skipped over a word.

google translate, meanwhile, translated the line as [but germany giving me flowers is a bit weird...] which doubles down on the impression, but. given google's increased reliance on generative AI which has a track record of making stuff up, do you want to rely on google translate. do you. it's definitely skipped over punctuation and words when i used it on jp tweets in the past, and there is no word for 'weird' in the original line, so. it's possible that it's a common phrase in japanese, but it's also possible that it made a word up??? i think it's possible either way given the semantics i've been taught regarding the word 'chotto...' in class, but i don't trust google translate that much... see the next paragraph for clarificiation on chotto though)

making it clear, what i've been taught so far in jp class is that manners-wise, it's not really straightforward in refusal and it gets reflected in the language a lot??? so for showing we can't do something, the first thing my sensei + the textbook tells us is 'ちょっと。。。' which, when literally translated, means 'that's a bit...' so it's entirely possible that there's cultural cues i'm missing to indicate that veneziano was trying to refuse, but.

from what i can tell, it sounds very possible that my initial impressions still hold, and that veneziano never figured out that germany was trying to propose to him??? the way the lines were originally translated gave off the impression that italy actually understood germany's intentions using words like 'does this mean...' + 'i appreciate your feelings, really, but...'

but if i read it right the original was A LOT MORE ambiguous and, combined with the scanlation of italy's internal monologue, sounded more like veneziano:

1. had 0 understanding of why germany was being so nice to him and saw the flowers as an extension of that strange behaviour and

2. thought germany was mad at him for something and was trying to acknowledge that fact (keep in mind germany got mad at italy at the start for sweet-talking women since they were supposed to be on a date while italy didn't know that + in the next panel italy literally goes 'i'm sorry for doodling on your face' before germany starts suddenly wiping italy's face due to phony instructions in the guidebook he was using)

so based off of this. i sincerely think that. veneziano still isn't aware that germany was even trying to propose to him by the end of buon san valentino and continued to think that he was being weirdly out of character with no discernable cause. in the first place, it's extraordinarily hasty to skip to proposal on the first date, so while he definitely wasn't picking up on certain social cues germany kind of fumbled in the communication department himself

and by that notion, italy had ever actually directly rejected germany in the raw version of buon san valentino. again, it's possible that i'm missing key social conventions in japanese but i'm also aware that there's been gags based on lingual misunderstanding before, so if it was written to sound like a refusal it was probably in a way that sounded like italy was refusing but wasn't?

i think the original scanlation largely maintained that ambiguity too, it's just that those specific word choices threw me off

the thing is though, i'm not. i'm not good at japanese. i'm struggling hard with my jp classes, to be honest

if possible, i'd appreciate if someone else who can read japanese would help me look it over? i don't have enough ability to go through every single buon san valentino line, those two parts just jumped out since they sounded different from what the rest of the lines had implied. the raw and scanlated version are both available on hetarchive if anyone is willing to help me

One more Hetalia new years post lol.

I wonder if it’s ever crossed Italy’s mind that Germany looks similar to HRE. He shows absolutely no indication of this unless Im missing it somewhere.

Germany x Italy has been my ship since day 1 over a decade ago in 2014. And yet here we are still no confirmation about Italy’s thoughts on Germany and even though it’s almost pieced together, no explicit explanation on HRE’s relation to Germany. It’s so frustrating. Hima is such a tease. I wonder if he ever will reveal it and if he does, how he would change the dynamic between Germany and Italy?

Also think it’s kinda crazy that Germany was all in for a romantic relationship with Italy and this was just never brought up again. And Italy is never shown acknowledging that Germany was ready to pursue a relationship with him lol. Like I wanna knoooooow the aftermath.

Also, I love that Hima has to point out Germany is a virgin every chance he gets lol, first being shamed by Grandpa Rome for not having girls in his bed, and then having to admit to Austria he has absolutely no experience in the BSV strip. It’s not a lot but it’s still funny it happened at least twice.

I do think it fits his character pretty well though. Assuming he is HRE reborn, he kept his old self’s promise to Italy, that no matter how many centuries pass by he will always love him the most ❤️

That makes me think though, maybe HRE knew he would be reborn so he never said goodbye to Italy because he knew he would meet him again and was confident he would love him in that life too?

I headcanon Italy is waiting for Germany to say smth first about HRE

[sanders-sides-uncorrect-quotes]

I feel like when Virgil said he used to be scared of Remus he meant he was scared but would try to get a long with Remus. (While keeping distant lol)

Then Remus is madly in love and tries to get close to Vee no matter what lol

Yess

Whenever I think of them I think of that trope of a huge dark insane character that goes all dopey with heart eyes when that one character (who is usually much smaller than them) as much as lightly touches their hand (or, in other words, they are Morticia and Gomez)

I also like to think that in the past Virgil used to like listening to Remus' rambles every once in awhile because sometimes they involved things he likes (spiders, darkness, vampires, etc), and that was enough for Remus to decide that he was Good™

[hecatesbroom]

did I finally manage to write a brand new fic? I sure did!! with many, many thanks to the lovely @eeblouissant for inspiring me with these beautiful drawings of Blanche dipping Dorothy (and the incredibly sweet follow-up with Rose playing the piano, after our chat about this scene!!) I hope I managed to do it justice ;)

Summary

When Dorothy mentions she’s never been dipped before, Blanche and Rose decide to take matters in their own hands.